In short: Most founders show only the highlight reel. I'd rather show the failures too, because a perfect image makes business look easy, and that misleads the people who most need the truth. Research backs this up: sharing failures alongside successes makes people trust you more, not less. Below is my own failure résumé.
A lot of people don't talk about their failures publicly. I love to. Everyone paints this perfect picture, and it really isn't like that. When the picture looks perfect, it makes other people want to jump into entrepreneurship and e-commerce because it looks easy. Starting and building a legitimate business is very hard.
Does talking about failure hurt your credibility?
I used to wonder. The research says no.
A 2019 study led by Harvard Business School's Alison Wood Brooks found that when successful people revealed their failures along with their successes, observers felt less malicious envy toward them. In a field experiment at an entrepreneurial pitch competition, hearing about a successful entrepreneur's failures made the entrepreneur seem less arrogant and more confident (Harvard Business School). Brooks also found that people kept their admiration for the person, and their status didn't drop (HBS Working Knowledge).
The researchers point to a well-known example: a Princeton professor who published a "CV of failures," a list of the jobs and awards he'd applied for and didn't get (Psychology Today). So here's mine.
My failure résumé
| When | What happened | What it cost | What I took from it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age 13 | Started a small hosting company. It didn't last | Time, and my confidence | You can start before you're ready. You just have to keep the lessons |
| Teens and early 20s | A long run of failed startups. Nothing worked, plain and simple | Years. It tore me down | Looking back, the timing often wasn't right. Bad timing isn't the same as a bad idea |
| School | I failed at school too | Easy paths that weren't open to me | Grades didn't decide where I'd end up |
| Early business | People laughed when I said we'd sell toothpaste | Pride | Sell what the market wants, not what impresses people |
| Years ago | A small supplier disappeared with customer orders still due | Revenue, stress and customers' patience | Never rely on one supplier. It changed how we worked for the better |
| One loss | I lost $28,000 that I really depended on. My family depended on it | Money we needed | Don't sit and cry about it. Take the lesson and make sure it never happens again |
I've said it in interviews and I'll say it here: I've failed, and I say that proudly. If I'm not failing at something, something is going wrong.
Why does the perfect image do harm?
Because it makes entrepreneurship look easy, and people jump in unprepared. They see the car, the office and the screenshot, and they never see the failed startups before it. Then they bet savings they can't afford to lose.
New founders deserve to know how hard it is before they start. That's not discouraging. It's respect.
What makes a failure story useful?
Not every failure story helps. The useful ones include:
- What actually happened, without spin
- What it cost, in real terms
- What you'd do differently
- What changed afterward
If a story leaves out the cost or the change, it's not a lesson. It's a performance.
What I won't do
I won't turn every failure story into a pitch. A failure story told only to sell something isn't honest. I also won't pretend every failure was secretly a win. Some were just losses. The point is what you do next.
Where can I hear more?
I gave a TEDx talk at TEDxParkland on how to weaponize failure. The core idea: failure falls into two categories. Internal failure is fear, doubt and burnout. Treat it as feedback. External failure is bad timing and tough circumstances. Read it like a GPS telling you which way to turn. You haven't failed. You just haven't weaponized failure yet.
Watch Robert Nikic's TEDx talk on how to weaponize failure
▸ Why honesty matters more now
Now that my work is advisory, credibility is what I have. I'm Advisory Council Chair at Reseated Councils (United Nations SDG 8 & 9), and one of the positions I care about most is second chances: people who fail should get a fair path to try again, in line with SDG target 8.5 (UN). I can't argue for second chances while hiding my own first tries. I'd rather people trust my view because I've shown the losses, not just the wins.
FAQ: talking about failure
Should entrepreneurs talk about their failures?
Research suggests yes. Sharing failures alongside successes can reduce envy and make people seem more confident and less arrogant.
What is a failure résumé?
A list of the things you tried that didn't work, what they cost and what you learned. Some academics and founders publish them openly.
Does sharing failure make you look weak?
Studies of successful people found it didn't lower their status or the admiration people felt for them.
Highlight reels sell. Honest stories teach.
What is Robert Nikic's view on sharing failures?
Robert Nikic's view is that founders should talk openly about failure, because honest stories prepare new entrepreneurs better than polished success narratives. He shares his own: a hosting company at 13, years of failed startups, a lost supplier and a $28,000 loss.
Related reading: Robert Nikic on Failure: Why Bad News Is My Starting Signal · Robert Nikic: My First Company at 13 · Robert Nikic: Should You Become an Entrepreneur?
